The 1979 Soviet Chess Championship was the 47th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 29 November to 27 December 1979 in Minsk. The tournament was won by Efim Geller. He won it at the age of 54 and was the oldest player ever to have won the Championship, and did so in a field where young players abounded as never before. The qualifying tournaments took place in Bălți and Bishkek.^[1][2]

Efim Geller

Qualifying

First League

The top six qualified for the final.^[3]

Bishkek, 2-29 October 1979

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
1	Sergey Dolmatov	2495	-	0	½	½	1	0	½	0	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	11
2	Sergey Makarichev	2500	1	-	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	10½
3	Yuri Razuvaev	2470	½	½	-	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	10½
4	Konstantin Lerner	2475	½	1	½	-	½	1	½	0	1	½	½	0	1	1	½	1	½	0	10
5	Yuri Anikaev	2455	0	½	½	½	-	½	½	1	½	½	1	0	½	1	½	½	1	1	10
6	Artur Yusupov	2490	1	½	½	0	½	-	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	9½
7	Vladimir Tukmakov	2575	½	½	½	½	½	0	-	1	½	½	0	1	1	1	0	½	0	1	9
8	Alexander Ivanov		1	½	½	1	0	½	0	-	0	½	½	1	½	0	½	½	1	1	9
9	Gennadij Timoscenko	2530	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	1	-	½	1	½	0	½	1	½	1	½	9
10	Alexander Kochyev	2545	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	-	0	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	9
11	Karen Grigorian	2480	0	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	0	1	-	0	½	½	½	1	1	1	9
12	Lev Psakhis	2480	0	0	0	1	1	½	0	0	½	1	1	-	½	1	½	0	½	1	8½
13	Vladimir Bagirov	2545	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	-	0	½	1	½	1	8½
14	Adrian Mikhalchishin	2480	½	½	½	0	0	1	0	1	½	0	½	0	1	-	0	½	1	1	8
15	Leonid Yurtaev		0	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	½	1	-	½	0	0	6½
16	Fikret Sideifzade	2320	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	1	0	½	½	-	½	0	5
17	Alvis Vītoliņš	2430	0	½	0	½	0	½	1	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	-	0	5
18	Smbat Lputian		0	0	0	1	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	-	5

Final

The position after 11 rounds was exciting with Balashov, Geller, Kasparov, Kupreichik and Yusupov all sharing the lead on seven points. However, Geller finished like an express train. He had begun with seven draws before he won in rounds 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Tal's result was catastrophic, and lost him 40 rating points. His poor form was largely due, according to chief judge Flohr in the bulletin, to the fact that he could not resist a wave of influenza which other participants threw off without too much difficulty.^[4]

47th USSR Chess Championship

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
1	Efim Geller	2550	-	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	½	1	1	11½
2	Artur Yusupov	2490	½	-	0	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	0	10½
3	Garry Kasparov		½	1	-	½	½	1	1	1	0	½	0	½	½	½	1	1	0	½	10
4	Yuri Balashov	2600	½	½	½	-	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	10
5	Sergey Makarichev	2500	½	½	½	½	-	½	1	0	1	½	0	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	9½
6	Tamaz Giorgadze	2535	½	0	0	½	½	-	1	1	½	½	0	1	0	1	1	½	½	1	9½
7	Viktor Kupreichik	2365	½	0	0	½	0	0	-	1	1	1	½	1	1	½	½	0	1	1	9½
8	Rafael Vaganian	2570	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	-	1	½	½	0	1	1	½	1	1	½	9
9	Konstantin Lerner	2475	0	½	1	½	0	½	0	0	-	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	8½
10	Nukhim Rashkovsky	2500	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	-	1	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	8
11	Alexander Beliavsky	2595	0	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	0	0	-	½	0	0	0	1	1	½	8
12	Yuri Razuvaev	2470	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	1	½	½	½	-	½	½	1	½	½	½	8
13	Oleg Romanishin	2560	0	0	½	0	½	1	0	0	½	½	1	½	-	1	1	½	0	1	8
14	Mikhail Tal	2615	½	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	-	½	0	1	1	7½
15	Sergey Dolmatov	2495	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	½	0	1	1	0	0	½	-	1	1	½	7½
16	Evgeny Sveshnikov	2545	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	0	0	½	0	½	½	1	0	-	1	½	7
17	Yuri Anikaev	2455	0	½	1	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	1	0	0	0	-	½	5½
18	Vitaly Tseshkovsky	2560	0	1	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	-	5½

References